The new Forest and Nature program has really taken off at St. John Catholic School in Red Lake.
The program started with Kindergarten students in partnership with FIREFLY but has recently expanded to include the Grade 6/7 class.
Instructor Kate Crough says “My overall goal in starting this program was to support student mental health and well-being. I could tell early on in the program that it was working. Students were coming with all of their outdoor winter gear, which if you’ve ever taught 6/7 students you know they never come with those things.”
She adds “Weeks where we weren’t able to get out were really hard for them. In class there was a lot more conflict, a lot more trips to see our student well-being coach and a lot less work getting done. You know the students were really having fun out there. They were grouping in groups that I’ve never seen them in the classroom.”
Crough says they spend 100 minutes each week in the same space in order to gain a deep connection to the area.
She says they incorporated free play with basic learning in eco-system studies, bio-diversity, survival games, social studies and even the history of Canada.
The program also combined traditional learning with fun activities including snowshoeing, nature walks and cross-country skiing.
Reconciliation also played a major part of the course.
Crough says the traditional classroom setting is really part of the colonial legacy and in order to reach reconciliation students need to leave the classroom.
“Nature School provides a really natural way to meet those deep, weekly connections to the Indigenous people in our communities. So I would love to start working with the knowledge holders in our communities and our Elders.”
To hear more about the program, visit the Audio link below.
(Photo Credit: St. John School Nature Program Grades 3-7 students)
